How Mazda Transformed Itself From Also-Ran to World-Leader - The Cheat Sheet
In 1931, the company introduced its first vehicle, a three-wheeled motorcycle called the Mazda Go, and during World War II, the company built rifles for the Japanese Army. In 1960, it released its first car, the R360 (beating Honda’s first car to market by three years), which became an instant success in Japan’s burgeoning “kei car” segment. Within a few years, Mazda’s engineers began to look to the future, and invested in an avant-garde new engine that had the potential to revolutionize the automotive industry, and would come to define the company: the Wankel rotary engine. Unlike a conventional internal combustion engine, the rotary utilizes a lightweight, compact design that replaces pistons with a triangular rotor, making the rotary a simpler engine with fewer moving parts, smoother performance, and higher... Developed by German company NSU (who would soon be absorbed by Volkswagen), Mazda licensed the technology and set about building a radical car that lived up to its new powerplant. Mazda sought to differentiate itself with its rotary technology, which was so popular by the early 1970s that even a rotary-powered Corvette was discussed. The company enjoyed early success in America with the small Mazda Rotary Pickup, designed exclusively for the American market, and its RX-2 and RX-3 sporty cars. Source: www.cheatsheet.com
